The cable is the part that most people overlook when they buy a new display. In the era when more and more people buy 4K TVs and 1440p monitors, you must know how to unlock their full potential.
Having a compatible cable can make a big difference in the image quality you receive. It’s a shame that your new 1440p monitor won’t play 144hz because of such a trivial thing. With just a few bucks and a little bit of knowledge you will receive, you will improve your refresh rate dramatically.
To make use of 144Hz you will need an HDMI 2, DVI-D, or DisplayPort cable. We discuss the three options in more detail below.
What does 144hz mean?
You may think, what does 144hz even mean? Will I see the difference between 60hz and 144hz?
That number expresses the refresh rate of your monitor. Refresh rate tells you the number of times a monitor will refresh to show you a new image. That is also a fundamental difference between framerate and refresh rate.
You will certainly see a difference between 60hz and 120hz. The display output will be a lot smoother. Just make sure you enable the 144hz option in your system and, more importantly, have an adequate cable.
HDMI vs. DVI vs. DisplayPort
These are the three most common options. We will cover them individually to see their performance.
HDMI
HDMI is the most famous cable for video and audio output. You probably have a few of them in your house. But, the solution is not that easy.
The first iterations of HDMI cables didn’t support a 144hz refresh rate at any resolution. So, the HDMIs you have from your old TVs probably won’t be enough.
However, with the release of HDMI 2.0 and 2.1, things have changed. The newer generations of HDMI can output 144hz at 1440p resolution and 120hz at 4K. That is more than enough for an average consumer.
One thing to watch out for is that not every monitor supports HDMI at 144hz. Most of them support it, but it is safer to check it before buying it.
DVI
While now as popular as it was a few years ago, DVI cables can still output 144hz at 1080p.
Of course, not all DVI cables can do that. Only the digital DVI called DVI-D can play at 60hz and 144hz. That depends on the number of transmitters in them. Single link DVI-D can output just 60hz at 1080p, and the Dual link DVI-D can play 144hz at the same resolution.
DVI is an old and robust option, but if you want a cheaper option, or you have one lying down in the house, this is for you.
DisplayPort
DisplayPort is the newest kid in the block between these three.
It is the favorite of most gamers. Even the older iterations of DisplayPort can play 144hz at 1080p, but version 4.1 can output 144hz even at 4K Resolution. That is impressive, and it is evident why gamers choose this port.
DisplayPort is the only option if you need 144hz at 4K. While the difference between 120hz and 144hz is not a deal-breaker, why not use the full potential of your display if you have resources.
Conclusion
Not having a good cable for your monitor can cause a lot of problems. Screen tearing, flickering, sub-optimal performance, or not working at all are the problems that can ruin your gaming experience. Resolving them by buying a small part such as cable should be your priority. Now that you know which one to choose, things should be easy.
This article was last updated on March 24, 2022 .
